CLEAN UP Mines Act of 2026
HB9023, the CLEAN UP Mines Act of 2026, would amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to impose tighter environmental and reclamation requirements on surface coal mining operations. The bill shortens timelines for backfilling, regrading, drainage control, and revegetation, and it requires certain reclamation activities to be completed much sooner after the last reported coal production. It also treats requests to temporarily cease or suspend mining as significant permit revisions and creates a compliance trigger for mines that have had no active coal removal or reclamation for more than six months during a three-year period.
The bill further strengthens monitoring and inspection obligations. It would require quarterly surface water and groundwater monitoring during mining and reclamation, annual assessments of stream biological condition, and inspections of runoff control structures after major precipitation events. It also tightens standards for release of performance bonds or deposits by tying release to compliance with the new reclamation and monitoring requirements and by reducing one bond-release waiting period from 60 days to 40 days.
If enacted, the bill would directly amend several provisions of the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, especially sections governing reclamation plans, permit revisions, environmental performance standards, inspections and monitoring, and performance bond release. The practical effect would be to accelerate reclamation deadlines, increase oversight of idle or suspended mines, and make bond release more dependent on timely compliance with environmental restoration requirements. The bill would primarily affect coal mine operators, state regulatory authorities that administer surface mining permits, and communities and waterways near surface coal mining sites.
The available context shows no recorded committee debate or votes, so there is no documented opposition or support in the provided materials. Based on the bill text, the measure appears to be framed as an environmental protection and mine-reclamation enforcement bill, suggesting a pro-regulation, pro-restoration posture. The sponsors and title indicate an intent to strengthen controls on the environmental impacts of surface coal mining.
The likely points of contention are the bill’s stricter deadlines and compliance triggers for coal operators, which could increase costs and reduce operational flexibility. Industry stakeholders may object to the shorter reclamation windows, the treatment of temporary shutdowns as significant permit revisions, the six-month inactivity rule, and the expanded monitoring and inspection requirements. Environmental advocates would likely support these provisions as necessary to prevent long-term unreclaimed mine sites, reduce water pollution, and ensure more timely restoration of mined land.